Lock it lunch box

ABSTRACT

A portable food and beverage storage conveyance with a locking functionality by means of a keyed lock or combination lock and having a multiplicity of divider sections and compartments.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority under 35 USC 119 (e) (1) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/002,672 filed May 23, 2014, of common inventorship herewith entitled, “LOCK IT LUNCH BOX,” which is incorporated herein by reference as though the same were set forth in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of food storage, and more specifically to the field of lunch boxes, and even more specifically to field of lunch boxes with locking capability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art has put forth several designs for lunch boxes. Among these are:

US Patent 2002/0084206 to George Protopapas describes a lunch box comprising a plurality of stackable, interchangeable food tray assemblies that have compartments in them for the storage of foodstuffs and other items. These tray assemblies are housed in an enclosure with a lid to protect the contents and a handle to provide ease of transport by the user. The lunch box is made in a variety of sizes to accommodate the needs of the user and to fit within various size refrigerators. The lunch box includes locking features to hinder unauthorized access to the contents.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,179 to Raymond Tuccio describes a flat lunch box blank which comprises a bottom panel, a rear and top panel connected to the bottom panel and hingeable upwardly along the fold line at a rear edge of the bottom panel, and a means secured at a front edge of the bottom panel for meeting with the aforesaid rear and top panel. Two side panels are connected to the bottom panel and are hingeable upwardly along fold lines at respective side edges of the bottom panel. These side panels have respective curved ends remote from the bottom panel whereby to establish a curved top profile when these side panels stand upward from the bottom panel. The rear and top panel is of sufficient length and comprises a material sufficiently firm yet flexible to extend upward from the bottom panel over the entire upstanding height of the side panels and to bend smoothly over the entire curved top profile to form a substantially semi cylindrical dome and to extend sufficiently far over the dome to meet the means which are secured at the front edge of the bottom panel to complete the lunch box front surface. The dome portion of the rear and top panel is uninterrupted by any fold line whereby to form a smoothly merging surface without any sharp angular discontinuity over the top of the lunch box.

U.S. Pat. D364,320 to Edward E. Sipe describes an ornamental design for a locking lunch box. The box is rectangular in shape with a curved dome top hingeably attached to the bottom of the box. The lunch box has an attached handle extended horizontally across its domed top and contains a numerical rotating lock similar to a lock system employed by many bicycle locks.

None of these prior art references describe the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable food and beverage storage conveyance with a locking functionality.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrative prototypical diagonal front view showing a locking lunch box with a thermos, soup container, removable strap, key lock, inserted key and extra key.

FIG. 2 is a prototypical top down diagonal view of the present invention in an opened position showing a thermos, soup container and divided sections.

FIG. 3 is a functional top down, close up diagonal view of the present invention in an opened position showing a thermos, soup container and removable dividers.

FIG. 4 is an illustrative prototypical diagonal front view showing a locking lunch box with a thermos, soup container, removable strap, and combination lock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

From an early age, everyone is taught the concept of sharing. Defined as participating in, using, enjoying or experiencing jointly or in turns, sharing is a major part of everyday existence. Drivers share a road. Families and friends share living spaces. Ingrained in most people, the concept of sharing is relatively easy to follow as long as the boundaries of give and take are adhered to respectfully. Boundaries of sharing are crossed from time to time, leading to confrontations and arguments. A little sister who borrows her older sibling's blouse without asking may be in trouble when the older sibling finds out. A teenager who takes a family car out without permission certainly will be in trouble when a father or mother finds out. Even food stored in a shared refrigerator may sow seeds of bitterness. This household or office break room appliance often is considered a free for all area, and any food or beverage stored within it is for anyone's taking, regardless to whom it belongs. A mother is understandably upset to find that her children have consumed an entire pitcher of lemonade she prepared for arriving guests. A college student has a right to fume when discovering, upon opening the refrigerator, that his roommate has ate every chocolate chip cookie his grandmother sent him. Even a common refrigerator located in an office kitchen is unsafe from coworker pilferage. Imagine a worker's chagrin when finding that delicious leftovers he or she was planning to enjoy for lunch are already inhaled by a mysterious refrigerator bandit, leaving nothing but an empty dish on the cooling shelf. Those who work outdoors, such as construction professionals, police and firemen, and maintenance techs, often break for lunch to find that the leftovers brought from home have been swiped by someone else. Leaving personal food items in a shared refrigerator or otherwise unattended is risky business.

The present invention, hereinafter referred to as Lock it Lunch Box or Lock It, is a portable food and beverage conveyance comprising locking capabilities. Lock It provides individuals with an easy and effective means of securing their food items from other people when using a shared refrigerator or when the lunch box is left unattended. The Lock It Lunch Box is fabricated of a high quality, durable plastic material.

Lock It is manufactured in three different sizes appropriate for adults, teens and children. Lock It for adults measures approximately fifteen inches in length, eight inches in width and twelve inches in depth. Lock It for teens measures approximately thirteen inches in length, eight inches in width and ten inches in depth. The Lock It for children measures approximately nine inches in length, six inches in width and seven inches in depth.

Please refer to the figures. The Lock It Lunch Box 10 comprises a hinge mounted lid 12 that opens in an upward direction and is topped with a convenient carrying handle 14 and a removable shoulder strap 16. Each lid is securable to the lunch box's bottom half using an integral key operated lock 22 that contains two operable keys 26. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the lid 12 is securable to the lunch box bottom half by means of an integral combination lock 24.

A Lock It Lunch Boxes is sectioned by two dividers 28. Each divider contains four removable grooved sections 30, permitting a user to create several storage compartments with a variety of configurations. Each Lock It Lunch Box contains a roomy thermos 34 for beverages as well as an insulated soup container 36. Lock It Lunch Boxes are produced in a variety of colors and styles to appeal to individual tastes.

Using a Lock It Lunch Box is simple and straightforward. Before heading to work or school, a user fills a Lock It with desired food and drink items. Closing the Lock It's lid, the user inserts and turns a provided key to steadfastly secure the lid and contents within the Lock It Lunch Box. The user is able to leave the present invention anywhere such as inside a refrigerator or on a common room countertop or at the edge of a construction site, without worrying about anyone accessing its contents.

The Lock It Lunch Boxes provide users with a line of functional, quality lunch boxes secured by a lock and key. Saving food from uninvited tampering, the present invention also keeps food and beverages fresh and tasty while being stored in roomy compartments as well as an included thermos and soup container. Manufactured with durable and high quality materials, the Lock It Lunch Box will withstand years of continued use.

Although this invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and various modifications which will become apparent to the person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 

1. A portable food and beverage storage conveyance with locking functionality, comprising: a hinge mounted lid that opens in an upward direction; a bottom half for containing food items; a carrying handle mounted to the top of the lid; a removable shoulder strap; wherein the lid is securable to the lunch box's bottom by locking means.
 2. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 1 wherein the locking means is a lock and key.
 3. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 1 wherein the locking means is a combination lock.
 4. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 2, wherein the bottom half further comprises two dividers and wherein each divider contains four removable grooved sections, permitting a user to create several storage compartments with a variety of configurations.
 5. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 4 further comprising a thermos for beverages and an insulated soup container.
 6. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 3, wherein the bottom half further comprises two dividers and wherein each divider contains four removable grooved sections, permitting a user to create several storage compartments with a variety of configurations.
 7. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 6 further comprising a thermos for beverages and an insulated soup container.
 8. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 2, fabricated of a high quality, durable plastic material.
 9. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 3, fabricated of a high quality, durable plastic material.
 10. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 2 measuring approximately fifteen inches in length, eight inches in width and twelve inches in depth.
 11. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 2 measuring approximately thirteen inches in length, eight inches in width and ten inches in depth.
 12. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 2 measuring approximately nine inches in length, six inches in width and seven inches in depth.
 13. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 3 measuring approximately fifteen inches in length, eight inches in width and twelve inches in depth.
 14. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 3 measuring approximately thirteen inches in length, eight inches in width and ten inches in depth.
 15. The portable food and beverage storage conveyance of claim 3 measuring approximately nine inches in length, six inches in width and seven inches in depth. 